The magic of books just enchants me. I love reading, what more can I say?

Hey guys! Remember earlier in the year, I ran a promo for 2 books, Psyche's Prophecy and Psyche's Search? That was Books 1 and 2 in the Transformation series respectively. Click here to read more about those books. I read them recently and let me say, they were amazing! Really loved them, and simply cannot wait to read Psyche's Promise.

Psyche's Promise

The Transformation Series is about finding out who we truly are when the chips are down. About what is real and what is illusory. About what matters and what doesn’t. It’s easy to show our best side when everything is going well. How about when the world is disintegrating around us? What happens then?

In this final book of the Transformation Series, Lara and Trevor’s relationship undergoes stresses that threaten to annihilate them. Constantly hungry, besieged by dark forces, they need every resource they’ve developed as a couple to keep from ripping each other apart. With Lillian and Raven— two ancient Celtic Sidhe— off fighting their own war against Goblin hordes, Lara has only herself and her half-baked magic standing between survival and certain death for herself, her love and their child.

The remote location that was supposed to solve all Lara and Trevor’s problems has done anything but. Though she works diligently, Lara’s crash course in magic proves woefully inadequate. When Trevor is captured by demons, Lara curses her decision to leave Seattle. “If only I’d known,” she cries, convinced she can’t go back. Or can she?

Ann Gimpel is a mountaineer at heart. Recently retired from a long career as a psychologist, she remembers many hours at her desk where her body may have been stuck inside four walls, but her soul was planning yet one more trip to the backcountry. Around the turn of the last century (that would be 2000, not 1900!), she managed to finagle moving to the Eastern Sierra, a mecca for those in love with the mountains. It was during long backcountry treks that Ann’s writing evolved. Unlike some who see the backcountry as an excuse to drag friends and relatives along, Ann prefers her solitude. Stories always ran around in her head on those journeys, sometimes as a hedge against abject terror when challenging conditions made her fear for her life, sometimes for company. Eventually, she returned from a trip and sat down at the computer. Three months later, a five hundred page novel emerged. Oh, it wasn’t very good, but it was a beginning. And she learned a lot between writing that novel and its sequel.

Around that time, a friend of hers suggested she try her hand at short stories. It didn’t take long before that first story found its way into print and they’ve been accepted pretty regularly since then. A trilogy, the Transformation Series released by Gypsy Shadow Publishing, features Psyche’s Prophecy, Psyche’s Search and Psyche’s Promise. One of Ann’s passions has always been ecology, so her tales often have a green twist and the Transformation Series is no exception.

In addition to writing, Ann enjoys wilderness photography. Part of her website is devoted to photos of her beloved Sierra. And she lugs pounds of camera equipment in her backpack to distant locales every year. A standing joke is that over ten percent of her pack weight is camera gear which means someone else has to carry the food! That someone else is her husband. They’ve shared a life together for a very long time. Children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out their family.

For
starters, why not tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many
people know?

Awk! One of
the problems with being a writer is I don’t think I have any secrets left
between my blog (http://anngimpel.blogspot.com)
and my website (www.anngimpel.com) .My
three loves are mountaineering, psychology and writing. I’ve trekked the
backcountry with a pack on my back for better than thirty years. Maybe because
of that, I’m an ardent environmentalist. My grown-up kids still complain that
they hear my voice nagging them to turn out the lights and put on a sweater!

What made
you want to become a writer?

I don’t
know that it was a conscious decision. Stories ran about in my head for years
when I was on backpacking and mountaineering trips. By the way, those trips
were always fairly solitary endeavors. Even if I went with other people, we
usually were so spread out that it was common for hours to go by where it was
just me, alone, in the wilderness. That gives the imagination lots of time to,
well, imagine. (I still turn around sometimes, thinking I’ve heard a voice
behind me. But there’s never anyone there.)

I came home
from a trip over Labor Day 2008, sat down at the computer and began to write
the tale that had emerged during that four day adventure. I’ve been writing
ever since.

Do you have
any hidden talents? *wink*

Well, I
don’t know how hidden it is, but my background and training as a psychologist
gives me a good, working understanding of people. That’s always been the easy
part for me—developing believable characters. And when I branched out into
paranormal romance with an, um, discernible heat level, it felt like a natural
extension. (No pun intended.)

What gives
you inspiration for your book(s)?

People,
mythology and the mountains. Particularly mythology. When I had an active
private practice, I did a lot of dream work with clients. Dreams are nothing if
not symbolic. I draw a lot on Celtic imagery in my writing. And I have an
interest in the Norse gods as well. Some of my writing has a “green” twist. I
figure that’s my contribution to trying to maintain the ability of the Earth to
sustain us for another few hundred years.

Are your
characters based off real people, or did they all come entirely from your
imagination?

My
characters are composites of people I’ve known, with fantastic elements tossed
into the mix. After all, I’ve never actually known anyone who could cast a
spell that really worked. They just wish it would have. And sometimes a
character will surprise me. For example, I can be halfway through a novella and
realize that the dragon is loosely related to my mother on some of her
less-than-stellar days.

Could you
tell us a bit about your book and why it is a must-read?

I’m not
sure which book you’re showcasing. If it’s Psyche’s
Promise, that is the final book in the Transformation Series. The first two
were Psyche’s Prophecy and Psyche’s Search.

The cover
blurb for Psyche’s Promise is:

The
Transformation Series is about finding out who we truly are when the chips are
down. About what is real and what is illusory. About what matters and what
doesn’t. It’s easy to show our best side when everything is going well. How
about when the world is disintegrating around us? What happens then?

In this
final book of the Transformation Series, Lara and Trevor’s relationship undergoes
stresses that threaten to annihilate them. Constantly hungry, besieged by dark
forces, they need every resource they’ve developed as a couple to keep from
ripping each other apart. With Lillian and Raven— two ancient Celtic Sidhe— off
fighting their own war against Goblin hordes, Lara has only herself and her
half-baked magic standing between survival and certain death for herself, her
love and their child.

The remote location that was supposed to solve all
Lara and Trevor’s problems has done anything but. Though she works diligently,
Lara’s crash course in magic proves woefully inadequate. When Trevor is
captured by demons, Lara curses her decision to leave Seattle. “If only I’d
known,” she cries, convinced she can’t go back. Or can she?

The
Transformation Series is urban fantasy, set in the “real” world, but with
characters that have special, magical abilities. Lara McInnis, the protagonist,
is a psychologist with psychic ability. Like us all, she has her strengths and
weaknesses and is a reluctant hero.

What do you
love most about the writing process?

Oh, that’s
an easy one. I love the creative flow where I get so lost in my characters and
my world that the “real” world feels weird when I have to stop writing and do
something prosaic like go make dinner.

And of
course, do you have a particular favorite character? I know an author will love
most if not all of the characters he/she creates, but I’m sure there must be a
favorite of yours! So who is it, and why?

You know,
that varies, but I think my current favorite is Lillian. She’s a Sidhe in the
Transformation Series. In spite of all her power, she finds she can’t turn
everything to her will. It’s a hard lesson and one that takes her all three
books to truly assimilate.

Will you
tell us a little about your plans for the future, and maybe other books that
are in the works? (Ideas thought out, perhaps even a rough draft?)

I have two
paranormal romance novellas coming soon from Liquid Silver Books. A Time for Everything will be out 11/26.
It’s a Scottish time-traveling romance. I spent a month in the UK this summer,
so my depiction of the wretched weather comes from experience. The second one, Gabrielle’s Cauldron, will be out 12/31.
Another urban fantasy, this one features a warg, a witch and a pixie who
overcome a lot to try to savethe world.

There’s a
third paranormal romance novella, Hello
Darkness, about a Park Ranger, her crazy Native American, cheating husband
and the man who steps in to save her. That one’s hunting for a home right now.

I also have
two other novels that are making the rounds in search of a publisher. And, of
course, a bunch of short stories.

And now, just some little random questions!

Favorite
colour? Purple

Favorite
place? Anywhere in the
mountains

Favorite
book? Oh my, I don’t
know. Loved LOTR, but I also like almost anything by Karen Marie Moning. And
I’m really enjoying Seanan McGuire and the October Daye series right now. I
find an author I like, then read just about everything they’ve ever written.
Then I move on.

Favorite genre?
(and why, if you like)

That’s a
hard one. I love high fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction and even pure,
unadulterated romance. I think I started writing paranormal romance because
it’s a blend of my two favorite genres. There’s something compelling about HEA
endings. Even if you know you’re reading a romance and there will be an HEA,
it’s still intriguing to see how the author gets there.

To end off,
is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

I enjoy
feedback. It’s how I grow as a writer. So, I’d love to invite anyone to read my
stories and write to me. Tell me what you thought. Were there characters you
really liked? Or ones you thought could have been improved upon.

Also, keep
your eye on my blog (http://anngimpel.blogspot.com)
. To showcase mytwo new Liquid Silver Book novellas,
I’ll be giving away a Kindle Fire. The contest will run from 12/15 through
1/15/13. Rules will be posted, but basically anyone whofollows my blog and leaves a comment about either
novella will be entered into the giveaway.

Hmm, I think
that should be about it for today! It was a pleasure to have you on the blog
today! Wishing you all the best in your career! :D

Thanks so
much. All the best to you as well.

So yep, that's about it for today! Thanks for visiting! I do hope you'll check this series out, because it truly is very good.

Delilah Brachman just died and now she has six days to dodge her fate or she’ll perish for all-time. She’s become an “In-Betweener,” someone whose judgment has yet to be decided, and she’s drawn a ticket for the Tuesday Train, the most damning ticket of all. She struggles against the demon Noc, whose cunning mind masks a childlike loneliness it will do anything to quell, and against Honest Jack, the idealist tyrant who uses torture to get his way. Meanwhile, Delilah begins to care for a man that her real life never prepared her for. Will she overcome the demons in her past, or will the life she led condemn her for all-time?

Vlad Vaslyn

VLAD VASLYN writes genre fiction from a literary perspective, bringing a unique voice and gritty realism to all of his works. He spends time researching and developing his plots and characters in order to create vivid worlds and themes that resonate with his readers.
His debut novel, BRACHMAN’S UNDERWORLD, has been called “mesmerizing” and “wildly imaginative,” and is available now in paperback and all major digital formats.
Visit Vlad on the web at www.thevlad.net.

And now, let's welcome Vlad to the blog!

Do you believe in Heaven and Hell? Does each of us have the capacity to be supremely good, or wickedly evil? And if so, do we choose to be, or simply become one way or the other? Of course not! As in many other aspects of our lives we fall somewhere in the middle. What if, as in many cultural and religious belief systems, there is an afterlife where we are judged? What if those who judge us are unsure of our moral worth? Perhaps we might end up somewhere in the middle, a purgatory, where we may be further tested and observed, and given a last chance for the future of our souls.
I wrote Brachman’s Underworld to explore what such a purgatory might be like from the point of view of the people trapped there. It was important for me to emphasize the universality of both judgment and empathy across many cultural and religious divides. Judgment particularly is such a universal concept.
In order to explore these philosophical questions I needed a blatant flaw for my main character, one that would make it easy for others to judge her harshly, without remorse. That is how Delilah Brachman became a racist. Once I had made that decision, choosing a setting for my novel was easy. My hometown of Lowell is the quintessential mill city, and a cultural melting pot. I wondered what it would be like for Delilah to grow up with a racist father in a place where most kids are immersed in a variety of different cultures and backgrounds from a very young age. These kids go to school together, play sports, and date each other freely. Skin tone is usually an afterthought, and that’s a wonderful thing.
Given this integrated setting, which aspects of her father’s personality would arise in Delilah? How would she hide her father’s racism from her friends? Would she have friends of different backgrounds? Would she secretly agree with her father’s beliefs? Or would she pick and choose, letting race matter when it came to some people, but not to others?
How Delilah deals with racism and the effects it has on her perceptions became the focal point of Brachman’s Underworld. Delilah is thrust into an afterlife adventure that forces her to examine her life, and like many of us, she needs to discover the truth within herself; deep down she knows what is moral, yet her life experiences cloud her judgment in such a way that her ultimate salvation is put into jeopardy. She allows the pain she experienced throughout her life to mask her core problems, using it as an excuse not to change. In the end, she is forced to wonder if she deserves a favorable judgment at all.

One rule: If another player taps you on the shoulder, you have to completely change your life within the next fifteen minutes. In front of everyone. Your car, your virginity, your grades, your identity – nothing is safe. When five high school students from the wrong part of town devote their lives to playing the game David invented, they walk a line between insanity and enlightenment.

My Rating

My Review

[sic] was something I didn’t expect at all. Even the name was unexpected. I thought there was something wrong with my computer when I saw the name, to be honest. But it certainly did capture my attention. Nevertheless, I don’t see the link with the book. Maybe I missed some clue, but yeah, this isn’t really important, is it? On to the book!

So… this was a book I wasn’t prepared for. When I saw the blurb, I was instantly intrigued. I mean, what could changing your life mean? So I decided to read it. And I was blown away, truly I was. I was prepared for a book that was maybe slightly immature, maybe funny. What I was not prepared for was this. It truly got me sucked in by the level of thought that went into it.

While I cannot say that this is a book that brought me through a wide array of emotions, I can say that it certainly got me thinking. Maybe sometimes, we do have to change our lives. And sometimes, we do need that push that this game gave the players. Sometimes, we have to stop living behind our façade, pretending everything is okay. Maybe sometimes, we just have to step out and do something else and just do what we want.

I did really enjoy reading the book. In all aspects, this book helped me to see a different aspect of life. Many times, the books I read aren’t talking about the poorer side of society, where people really struggle to live. In this way, this book was an eye-opener, seeing how sometimes, people just want to be heard. To have an identity of one’s own, to truly be who one is, instead of being what society defines them to be.

The plot of [sic] was rather complex and I loved getting to understand the characters more and more as they matured and through them playing the game. It was, simply put, incredible. I truly saw how all the characters thought and how they really were like, especially towards the end.

The beginning was a little slow, but it really picked up towards the end. I loved how the story was told, with little commentaries thrown in by the psychiatrist whenever we are brought back to the present. It really gave me insights as to how David thought, because so little was really known about him. At the same time, we also started knowing more about Jacob. Up till now, right at the end of the story, I’m not certain whether he’s really sane. I mean, he did seem a bit unstable towards the end. But I guess, you win some, you lose some yeah?

The characters in this book were really good to read about. I felt like they really had substance to them. As in, the main characters were really focused on, and I felt I got to know all of them equally, except maybe for Jacob, but that’s cause he is the main character. As I mentioned earlier, character development was great too! I love character development, so it really got me interested as I saw how the characters matured and started understanding more.

All in all, this was a really good book. I did truly enjoy it, and was hooked, especially towards the end. While the beginning seemed a bit slow and monotonous at times, I found it all to be a great set-up for the ending and it just allowed everything to fall neatly into place. Certainly a very well planned-out book and one that truly made me think.

Read an excerpt here!

“I disagree. It was easy to start playing,” I explain, “It was easy to want to change things when everything was bad. But, in the end it’s about loyalty to a higher ideal. Maybe the highest ideal. You get one turn at life, and you’re more or less assigned a role from the start. For some people, it’s a nice one. For us, it was a bad one. But, it should be true for anyone. If this is your one opportunity at life, isn’t the ultimate homage you can pay to its creator—to God, or even to yourself—to systematically explore every possible dimension of human existence? Isn’t that a nobler ideal than raising a family? There are plenty of families. Maybe if you live in a time or a place where life means something, where you’re fighting in a war or rebuilding after one, or something with some narrative…but here in America, here and now, life has no point for us. The only causes available to join are corrupt ones. So why not do the best thing possible and explore every dimension of life?

"Isn’t that what everyone worked so hard for? Isn't that the big dream, to spend life experiencing it? Well, we're here. We accomplished the dream, life in America is easy. It's time to live a little, because nothing is coming next. And if there is a God, and a Heaven, you should ask yourself: what have you done with this life that's so great you deserve another one? Would you spend your time there counseling angels? Do accountants dream of crunching numbers on clouds?

“Could everyone play Eureka? No, society wouldn’t function. But should everyone who can play Eureka? I don’t know. I don’t know. But me and mine, much as I can hate them, I know: we are the result of all this quality of life that has taken the place of the actual quality of your life. But, I also think it requires you to be a sociopath. So, maybe I am a sociopath, or a narcissist, or whatever you said David was.”

Scott Kelly

When Scott was eleven, he was so upset by the ending of the classic story Robin Hood that he wrote his own and stuck it into the book. When he was fourteen he finished his first novel. By the time he was nineteen, he’d written four–the latest, JIMWAMBA, was published by an independent press in the United Kingdom. Dissatisfied with the experience, he took to stealing paper from his University and selling staple-bound copies of his manuscript at local festivals and gatherings, earning him a cult following that only grew as his eBook FRIGHTENED BOY reached its thirty-thousandth reader. He is a presence in the burgeoning social writing scene as a contest judge for the website BookRix, winner of WeBook’s “Page to Fame” contest, and chart-topper/featured author on the website WattPad. Over fifty-thousand people have read one of Scott’s novels online.
Scott’s constant need to improve his writing took him through a college education in Literature. He became determined to bring what he loved about classic literature to the modern reader, in a manner they’d appreciate as something new, but with its dues paid.
Scott Kelly is the ‘fresh new voice.’ He writes daring literature that asks difficult questions about the nature of humanity, but layers it in so many delicious coatings of action, thrills, and intrigue that readers often forget they are reading novels that address delicate questions about identity, perception and death. He delights in taking complex philosophical and metaphysical themes, but breaking them down using entertaining, familiar story setups – that he then mangles in attractive ways.
Now twenty-eight, he performs intellectual property duty for a lab where experimental drugs and chemicals are concocted. But while the chemists are busy filling beakers, Scott is trying to save compelling, thought-provoking literature for a new wave of readers.

Hey guys! First up, I would like to apologise for this late post. Firstly, this post was supposed to be up on the 24th. Its the 26th today. I'm so sorry. I was overseas and it simply slipped my mind. Then when I got back on the 25th, I came down with a fever and spent most of the day sleeping it off. This is the first chance I have had to use my computer since I came back! In any case though, this is A Practical Arrangement by Nadja Notariani. It is an indie-published historical romance of about 195 pages. I have read it but my review is only half-done, I'll post it real soon! Definitely by tomorrow:)

A Practical Arrangement

Miss Evangeline Grey, intelligent and sensible, has no desire to marry, her reluctance born from the dire warnings of her overly emotional mother. Her father has other ideas, however, and decrees that unless she weds by the spring, he will choose a husband for her.

Prim and proper Evangeline accepts her father's issue with little more than mild alarm. Knowing herself plain of face and sharp of tongue, she believes herself capable of warding off any perspective suitor. Her plan goes awry when the scandalous seducer, Mr. Thomas Masterson, visits her family's home, for Thomas has learned that he must procure a wife to receive his full inheritance.

When he discovers Evangeline's predicament matches his own, Thomas determines to orchestrate a practical arrangement. A war of wit and word results, and Thomas finds himself ever more beguiled by the soft heart he discovers under Miss Grey's stern, inhibited exterior. Patiently, he endeavors to gain her respect and awaken her passions. As tenuous trust blooms between the rake and the reluctant, unfortunate events – and Thomas' past reputation – threaten to destroy the peace and happiness he has found within the bonds of his Practical Arrangement.

Nadja Notariani was born in Rochester, Pennsylvania. Her upbringing included very diverse environments, affording wide and varied richness of ethnic and religious tradition. Raised in both an Italian/Mediterranean American home and a traditional German household, Nadja gleaned the unique benefits of viewing the world through two widely different lenses.

Nadja resides in Northeastern Pennsylvania, ever embracing new adventures with her husband, three sons, and faithful German Shepherd. She also boasts two daughters, who have flown the nest to pursue their own adventures.

Within her titles, readers can find romance and adventure, from contemporary to paranormal to historical, always with a happily-ever-after. Nadja enjoys hearing from readers and can be found at her website, on Facebook, Goodreads, and at Romance Novel Center. Readers are welcome to contact her via email.

Evangeline felt sorry for Melody in a small way, her mother as well. They had no defense, no antidote to counter the forceful emotions stirred in them. She counted herself lucky to have been spared their burden.

In good time Melody and their mother returned, tea arriving directly afterward, and while glad to see them she couldn't deny sorrow over her lost solitude.

“Oh, they both are such handsome men, Melody. And wealthy enough, too.”

“Mr. Lane is, by far, more handsome with his light hair and eyes,” Melody admired openly.

But as usual, Providence gave her no quarter, choosing the moment of her sister's question to spring said gentlemen into the sitting room. All eyes landed upon her, her father grinning in a most amused way. Evangeline flushed, a deep burn rising under her skin. Thomas Masterson made his greetings, and as the others conversed around the tea cart he neared, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips.

“I'd take you at your word, Miss Grey, but your pretty blush suggests perhaps you do harbor a preference.” His eyes simmered, locked intently on hers.

Oh! What did he mean by saying that?

She found herself squirming under that gaze of his – and appalled – stilled immediately. Gathering herself, she answered. “Never confuse indifference with deceit, Mr. Masterson.”

Isabel Cruz was fifteen years old when she met Tom Stevens. She was 15 when they started dating, and 16 when she lost her virginity to him. By the time she turned 18 and went to college, everything had fallen apart. This hadn’t been an ordinary love, though. Not a love between two dear friends, or even high school sweethearts. This had been the most taboo sort of love there was: a relationship between a student and her teacher. Isabel started her high school career as a normal student, but set her sights on Tom Stevens as soon as she met him, and pursued him with an intense – and sometimes reckless – fascination. When he finally approached her after swim practice and told her that he shared her feelings, it was the start of a forbidden and dangerous relationship.
Join Isabel as she makes her way through this dark love story, hiding from teachers, lying to her parents, and defying the authorities to make a life with the man she loves. Watch as she discovers the wonders of love and romance, and the terrible betrayal of jealous friends. And cry with her when she learns the hard truth about life and the people in her world. Sweetest Taboo is inspired by the true and tragic stories of students who fall in love with their teachers, and live with the hard truths of forbidden romances. In a world full of after-school specials on sexual predators, this touching book seeks a different path, casting both student and teacher in a gentle light, and showing that true love may lie at the base of even the most illicit romance.

"Sweetest Taboo was a book I really enjoyed. It showed us that sometimes, love can cross boundaries, that it defies law. That age was truly just a number. The character development in this book was really good and the protagonist was sufficiently talked about. Furthermore, the love between the characters was simple, yet believable. Simply put, I loved it."

Eva Marquez

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, daughter of European immigrants, Eva Márquez has spent most of her life outside of her home country. At the age of five, Eva accompanied her parents to the United States, where the family settled permanently. After graduating from university, she went on to complete graduate studies in International Relations in Spain. Eva received her Master of International Studies degree from the University of Sydney and went on to work in the global health field in Sub Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Eva currently resides in Southern Africa.

Check out the book trailer right below! Or you can go right to this link!

And now, let's welcome Eva to the blog!

What to look for in a Publisher

Most
authors find it very painstaking to search for an appropriate publisher who
will put enough effort and resources towards making their book a success. This
guide is meant to reduce the stress that authors undergo, though, truth be told
that ending up with a committed and appropriate publisher for your manuscript
requires a great deal of personal effort. For example, you have to research,
read, interview and observe; at the same time, you have to do all of these
carefully and do them well.

Below is
a guideline to assist authors in finding their dream publisher for their
manuscripts.

1)Legitimacy

First
things first, before you contact the publisher whom you think will be an
appropriate candidate you should be able to prove their legitimacy. Do they
have the permission to practice in that field from the authorities? Are they
capable of completing the publication of
your manuscript to a market that will sell?

2)Submission Guidelines

Every
publisher has their own way of doing things just as every human being does.
Most eminent publishing companies will have guidelines for authors to read and
understand before submitting their manuscripts for publishing. These guidelines
are very important as they state what the publisher is looking for and how they
want it submitted. You wouldn’t want your manuscript submitted to the wrong
publisher or even if they are right one, you don’t want them sending you a
rejection letter because you refused to follow their submission guidelines.

3)Publisher’s Catalogue and track record

Before
you submit your work to a publisher, you should go through their catalogue
carefully. Find out what types of work they are doing; find out what they have
done in the past. Visit the Amazon bookstore online or even physically go to a
bookshop. Peruse their books and get an established track record of how good
they are at what they do.

4)Customer Service

Normally
a good publishing company will have a well-established customer service desk.
However, that is not where it stops. Besides having a customer service desk, it
is very important that you familiarize yourself with their customer service so
that you are able to know how they respond to clients and readers. Are they
helpful, polite, and kind and calm enough to help you? Or are they just a bunch
of careless and arrogant individuals? Their response to emails should be
descriptive and not vague and they should treat your readers with utmost
professionalism. That is the only way your published book will sell.

5)Genre of the publishing house

Be sure
that the publisher whom you choose is specialized in your type of genre. Most
publishers are specialized in 1-5 genres while others are specialized in only
one. However, it is best to find a publisher who will put a lot of effort in
publishing within your genre.

6)Cost of publishing

As an
author it is also important to do your math properly. The success of your book
also depends on how cheap or expensive your publisher is. A very cheap publisher
is not a good sign; always keep in mind that cheap is expensive, in the
long-run. On the other hand an extremely expensive publisher might really hurt
your pocket for something that another publisher will charge less for. Also, be
insistent about earning 50% of the profits of your book.

7)Formatting

A good
way to know if your intended publisher is professional and that their books are
successful is to go to a bookstore and get one or two of their books. Go
through them and find out if the book has any grammatical or spelling mistakes.
Find out the magnitude and frequency of such mistakes. Go on Amazon and track
the reviews of these books and their sales to gauge success.

8)Freedom of creativity

Ensure
that your publisher allows you to exercise your full freedom of creativity in
the publishing of your book. Being the author of the manuscript, you are
entitled to many freedoms in the publishing process. Do not allow a publisher
to limit your creativity.

Essentially,
the guidelines above are meant to help all the writers. It is important that
writers find the right publisher for their manuscript, in spite of the amount
of man-hours a writer must put into that search. By putting in some time and
dedication to the search process, a writer may avoid receiving rejection
letters from publishers who are not intent on publishing their work.

P.S. Please help spread the word about ‘Sweetest Taboo’! Click here to find out how you can help.

So yep, that's about it for today! Go here to check out the other tour stops! You'll find loads of awesome stuff on the other tour sites too! :D

Isabel Cruz was fifteen years old when she met Tom Stevens. She was 15 when they started dating, and 16 when she lost her virginity to him. By the time she turned 18 and went to college, everything had fallen apart. This hadn’t been an ordinary love, though. Not a love between two dear friends, or even high school sweethearts. This had been the most taboo sort of love there was: a relationship between a student and her teacher. Isabel started her high school career as a normal student, but set her sights on Tom Stevens as soon as she met him, and pursued him with an intense – and sometimes reckless – fascination. When he finally approached her after swim practice and told her that he shared her feelings, it was the start of a forbidden and dangerous relationship.
Join Isabel as she makes her way through this dark love story, hiding from teachers, lying to her parents, and defying the authorities to make a life with the man she loves. Watch as she discovers the wonders of love and romance, and the terrible betrayal of jealous friends. And cry with her when she learns the hard truth about life and the people in her world. Sweetest Taboo is inspired by the true and tragic stories of students who fall in love with their teachers, and live with the hard truths of forbidden romances. In a world full of after-school specials on sexual predators, this touching book seeks a different path, casting both student and teacher in a gentle light, and showing that true love may lie at the base of even the most illicit romance.

My Rating

My Review

Sweetest Taboo. A name that intrigued me from the start, coupled with a story that was beautiful and amazing. While reading this book, I was completely hooked. Initially, I thought that this book would merely consist of how she fell for him and vice versa with a lot of flirting and tension along the way. But from the moment I read the prologue, I knew it was going to be something different, and I truly enjoyed it.

I find that I am able to identify with Isabel in many ways. Maybe its because like her, I’ve always preferred older guys. Or maybe I just like the way she approaches the relationship between her and Tom. It was truly something very down-to-earth and very realistic. I found myself believing most of what had gone on in the book, which did add to my enjoyment of it. As for Tom, I do think that he is incredibly sweet. Through it all, he always stuck by Isabel, and while I do admit that even I doubted him for a while at the end, I’m glad to say I was proven wrong.

The love between Isabel and Tom, while not commonly witnessed, is something very believable. The taboo nature of the relationship made the book even more interesting to read about, simply because not many books talk about so taboo a relationship. And perhaps its just me, but I’ve never seen anything wrong with an adult having a relationship with a minor. As long as the minor made her own decision and what they have is real, I think its beautiful either way. After all, love knows no age, so why should we use something so minor to stop two people meant for each other from being together?

I really liked Isabel while reading the book. I felt that even at a tender age of 15, she did know her own mind. She wasn’t a normal immature teenager. Yes, there were times when I couldn’t stand her behavior, her thinking. But other than that, I found her extremely mature. Especially how she handled her relationship with Tom. As difficult as it was, I thought she dealt with it amazingly well, given that she was at that age.

I did especially love what Isabel did towards the end of the book when she finally took a stand. No matter how difficult it was, she decided to say, enough was enough and made that stand. I also love how we saw she matured throughout the entire book, going from a somewhat self-centered teenager (but still rather mature), to someone who truly cared about others and finally took a stand for herself.

There’s nothing much I can really talk about the plot. Essentially, it explores the relationship between Tom and Isabel, and at the same time, giving us more detailed views into their characters as the book progressed. I found it to be simple, yet good. It effectively conveyed the story without using excessive descriptions or other ‘good’ words. Simply put, the story was told to us, honest yet beautifully.

There was something I didn’t really get though. I felt that there should have been a little more about how Tom fell for her. I mean, it did seem a little weird that all of a sudden, a teacher could fall for his student. Personally, I felt that maybe more emphasis was needed on that part, because I think this is one instance where ‘we are meant for each other’ or ‘we’re soul mates’ just doesn’t cut it. Yes, none of these phrases were actually used, but the meaning was implied.

Overall, I really did like this book. I did wish it was longer though, so more aspects of their love could be explored. This is certainly a book that shows that love defies all boundaries, even age. Sometimes, love just happens, and it can happen at any age, at any time. Truly, this was an excellent romance, one that I think should be read! Am definitely looking forward to the sequel next year! At least, that’s what Ms. Marquez’s website stated!

P.S. Do forgive me for this review. I’m not feeling entirely well, and hence, am unable to really think properly! I did want to complete a review before I slept though! I do realize there’s quite a lot of repetition here so I do apologise!

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About Me

My name's Victoria and I love to read! And I guess no matter how busy I am, I'll always find time to read because you can't stop a passion, can you? I love netball, especially shooting, there's just something so peaceful about it, isn't there?

I started blogging in 2011, around November. I've fallen in love with it. Blogging about books just is so fun. Of course, I haven't been the most active of bloggers due to school:( Hopefully that will change now that I'm finally free!

But above all, I love my Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior. I've put my trust in Him. Because I know that no matter what, He will never forsake me nor leave me.

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